Welcome aboard the DMS HERMES Six hours ago the ore-processing station Gemini came under attack by an unknown [alien] force, only minutes after it became fully operational. As you may know, Gemini is the first full scale teleholographic space station, a twin space station formed by a pair of focussed FTL-field generators twelve [12] lightyears apart. This technology allowed Gemini to be precisely placed within the asteroid belt around Tau Ceti. If it should get into the wrong hands and be used to transmit less benign constructs... well need I continue? We have already decided on the appropriate course of action. We have decided upon you.
Just as the first distress calls were arriving, Gemini-B folded out of existence with a massive power surge. So far all attempts to get it back online have failed. What remained of the crew died instantly as the station dematerialised around them. This was not supposed to happen. Gemini-A still exists, although under enemy control. Two hours ago a small burst transmission was intercepted from Gemini-A. It is garbled but the meaning is clear. ]cat# 15566.76/55a message begins ]ayday...G_emini-A under att@%%#fhor assau^]22 AE AE FF CC orce/ Gemini-B explo@ <DD&& ]1hor OVErloaded systems/to#&%uch blood/]att_ack STopped/eight [8]of us sti{22}here ]in hi-_di∂ƒ/ some&&e let the^^EE in##### ]message cuts out <abort, retry or fail?>
Failsafes within my system are preventing me from transporting you to Gemini-A right now- you will have to take the circuits out manually. There are three [3] failsafes to be overriden. I will open the first and then the others should trigger one by one. Be careful with me... Hermes ]cat#15566.76/59 ]SUPPLEMENTARY ] Make good use of the port and starboard ] emergency arms caches. Early indications ] are of a much bigger force than should be ] necessary to capture the Geminis. ] But then again, your reputation for ] violence has preceeded you.....